March 30, 2007

Asian markets mostly higher as Europe ends mixed and New York declines

Permalink: Asian markets mostly higher as Europe ends mixed and New York declines by Elaine Frei

Global equities markets were mixed on Friday, with Asia Pacific markets mostly up, but Europe well mixed and the US lower at midday and over the week. Markets were mostly up in the Asia Pacific Region. The main exception was the Hang Seng index in ...

West Texas Intermediate crude trades above $66 per barrel

Permalink: West Texas Intermediate crude trades above $66 per barrel by Elaine Frei

The price of gold rose on Friday, adding $4 by midday in New York to trade at $665.50 per troy ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange. That put it up 1.2 percent over last week’s close, but it was still 1 percent lower from its trading ...

US dollar weakens on tariffs announcement

Permalink: US dollar weakens on tariffs announcement by Elaine Frei

The US dollar weakened on Friday on the news that the US will charge duties for coated paper imports from China. The greenback dropped 0.4 percent in relation to the euro, to $1.3395, while it fell 0.5 percent to $1.9710 versus sterling and was 0.6 percent lower against the yen ...

March 29, 2007

Tokyo equities markets see little movement on session

Permalink: Tokyo equities markets see little movement on session by Elaine Frei

The Asia and Pacific region equities markets were mostly up on the session on Thursday. In Australia, the Sydney Ordinaries added 0.51 percent to 5,943.4. The Straits Times index in Singapore gained 0.61 percent to 3,220.27, while in India the Sensex was 0.74 percent higher to 12,979.66. ...

Most government bonds see yields rise

Permalink: Most government bonds see yields rise by Elaine Frei

Prices for government bonds were lower on Thursday in Europe, the UK and the US, leaving Japanese government bonds alone with prices higher and yields lower. The ten-year Japanese government bond dropped 3 basis points to yield 1.650 percent. In the United States, Treasury bonds saw yields rise after new data ...

Metals prices decline as oil prices rise

Permalink: Metals prices decline as oil prices rise by Elaine Frei

Precious metals prices were lower on Thursday, with June gold futures on the COMEX unit of the New York Mercantile Exchange $5.30 lower to $667.60 per troy ounce after trading in a range between $660.80 and $672.50 during the session. Spot gold was quoted at $661.20/$661.70 per troy ounce, ...

Yen, Swiss franc weaker

Permalink: Yen, Swiss franc weaker by Elaine Frei

The yen weakened on Thursday after equities markets in the Asian region returned to gains after widespread declines on Wednesday. By mid-afternoon in New York, the yen had dropped 0.9 percent against both the US dollar and sterling, to ¥117.90 and ¥231.40 respectively, while it was 1 percent lower versus the euro, ...

March 28, 2007

Equities markets on decline

Permalink: Equities markets on decline by Elaine Frei

Global equities markets were lower on Wednesday. In Asia and the Pacific, the Sydney Ordinaries dropped 0.66 percent to 5,913.3, while the Hang Seng index in Hong Kong fell 0.78 percent to 19,553.87. Elsewhere in the region, the declines were even larger. The Straits Timex index in Singapore was 1.07 ...

Oil, metals prices higher

Permalink: Oil, metals prices higher by Elaine Frei

Crude oil prices rose by over $1.50 per barrel on Wednesday and was up by over $5 per barrel for a time shortly after the markets opened this morning after reports that an Iranian missile had hit a US naval vessel. Prices declined from that spike, though, after a US government spokesman ...

Euro, sterling, US dollar all flat on day

Permalink: Euro, sterling, US dollar all flat on day by Elaine Frei

The Japanese yen was significantly stronger on Wednesday on reports, later denied, that Iran had fired a missle at a US military vessel in the Persian Gulf. Nervous investors looked for safer places to put their money, leading to an abandonment of many carry trades. The yen added 1 ...

March 27, 2007

Wall Street lower at midday on consumer confidence, house price data

Permalink: Wall Street lower at midday on consumer confidence, house price data by Elaine Frei

Equities markets in Asia and the Pacific were mostly lower on Tuesday, the main exception being the Straits Times index in Singapore, which added 1.01 percent to 3,230.61. Elsewhere, the Sydney Ordinaries and the Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong each dropped 0.3 percent, to ...

Oil prices lower as metals remain mixed

Permalink: Oil prices lower as metals remain mixed by Elaine Frei

Crude oil prices were lower on Tuesday after a series of advances that had taken prices 25 percent higher than the year’s low in late January. Much of the recent gains have been due to political tensions between Iran and the West that have only been increased by last ...

US dollar, sterling weaken; euro strengthens

Permalink: US dollar, sterling weaken; euro strengthens by Elaine Frei

At mid-afternoon in New York the US dollar remained weaker in relation to the euro and the yen after new consumer confidence data was worse than had been anticipated. The US currency was 0.1 percent lower to ¥117.91 against the yen, while it dropped 0.2 percent to $1.2252 versus the ...

Bonds prices mixed on day

Permalink: Bonds prices mixed on day by Elaine Frei

With US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke scheduled to testify on Wednesday before the Joint Economic Committee of Congress, investors were tentative Tuesday as they waited to see if he might expand on the policy statement released by the Fed last week. On the other hand, lower than forecast consumer confidence ...

March 26, 2007

Europe, US equities markets lower

Permalink: Europe, US equities markets lower by Elaine Frei

Equities markets were mixed in the Asia Pacific region and were lower just about everywhere else on Monday as the real estate and house building sectors took hits in many places. The exception seemed to be the UK, where house builders saw gains after George Wimpy (LSE: WMPY) and Taylor Woodrow ...

Crude oil, most metals prices higher

Permalink: Crude oil, most metals prices higher by Elaine Frei

Crude oil prices were as high Monday as they have been all year as tensions continue between Iran and the West over the capture last week of 15 British sailors. Brent crude May deliveries gained $1.15 to $64.33 per barrel in late afternoon trade on the Intercontinental Exchange in London. ...

US Treasury bond yields lower on home sales data

Permalink: US Treasury bond yields lower on home sales data by Elaine Frei

Price on US Treasury bonds rose after it was reported that new home sales in February in the US were down by 3.9 percent when it had been expected that they would be up by 5.1 percent. The new figures raised worries that slow sales could cause ...

US dollar weakens, sterling stronger on session

Permalink: US dollar weakens, sterling stronger on session by Elaine Frei

The US dollar weakened on Monday after new figures from the Commerce Department showed that the sale of new homes dropped by 3.9 percent in February. At mid-afternoon in New York, the greenback had dropped 0.2 percent against the Japanese yen, to ¥117.85, while it fell 0.4 percent versus ...

March 23, 2007

Equities markets in mixed results

Permalink: Equities markets in mixed results by Elaine Frei

Equities in Asia and the Pacific were mixed on Friday. The Sydney Ordinaries dropped 0.04 percent to 5,933.1, while in India the Sensex fell 0.17 percent to 13,285.93. On the other hand, in Hong Kong the Hang Seng gained 0.01 percent to 19,692.64 and the Straits Times index added 0.05 ...

Precious metals prices decline on session

Permalink: Precious metals prices decline on session by Elaine Frei

Precious metals were lower dropped on Friday as investors took profits, but political tensions heated up by Iran’s capture of 15 British Navy personnel and accompanying rises in oil prices kept the price of gold from falling too far. April gold on the COMEX dropped $6.90, to $657.30 per troy ...